Home Again
by soaper410
Summary: A story about Deacon, Rayna, and the cabin. (Some spoilers)
1. Chapter 1

New story. It is basically about Rayna/Deacon and the cabin. Not sure how long this will be, but I've already gotten the second chapter done. Hope you enjoy!

**Home Again**

I steady myself for the onslaught of yelling voices and flashes from the cameras. It's been nearly six weeks since I called off the wedding. The press scrutiny hasn't gotten in better, if anything it has intensified more. The weekly tabloids came out yesterday. Every magazine, from PEOPLE to the National Enquirer still carry weekly stories about Luke and I. I've actually bought several rags with the worst Photoshop and best headlines. There was "Runaway Rayna", "HeartbRAYker", and Deacon's personal favorite, "Rayna says, "Wheel's Up!"

My body guard opens the back passenger door and immediately I hear my name being yelled by half a dozen grown men. I don't look up, instead I just count the steps between the car and the front door of the hotel. I used to crave this: the attention, the spotlight. I loved signing autographs for the fans after shows or have a line of fans at the hotel when I arrived. But this is scary and loud. I can feel one guy breathe on my neck as another set of flashbulbs go off. Another yells something crude about "Luke" and a "supermodel." This feels intrusive and personal. Several more yell my name and another puts his body between the sliding glass doors and the security I've hired. More lights go off, more yelling happens.

It is only fourteen steps until I'm behind the sliding glass door. The lights flash over my head but at least their voices are muffled, at least they aren't close to me anymore. I quickly hop on the waiting elevator with the bodyguard and head to the Penthouse.

I look down at my phone and notice a text message from Maddie. It's probably another picture of Deacon, Maddie and Daphne. The three of them are up at the cabin for a few days and apparently having the time of their lives. While Luke hasn't formally fired Deacon, he did add another opening act to "give Deacon a break". Layla Grant is now doing the next three weeks of tour dates and then theoretically, Deacon will do four weeks after that. Of course, I don't for one minute believe Luke will actually let Deacon do another show. Deacon actually hopes Luke fires him. He's been getting offers to be opening acts on several other tours in the spring. His album has been getting some good buzz in the last few months.

With our Grammy win for 'This Time' and Deacon's name being batted about in the press, his little label is actually willing to spend a little bit of money to promote him.

The elevator dings and then I'm in my suite. It's a fifteen room duplex complete with a gym, sauna, and ten seat movie theatre. Daphne would be bouncing off the walls if she were here. Maddie would try to hide her excitement at getting to sleep in the bedroom with a giant headboard that was also a fish tank. Of course, Deacon and I could have all kinds of fun in the bedroom made to resemble a disco ball. The brightness might be a tad overwhelming but the eighty different mirrors would be exciting. But it's just me, by myself. I get lost for a moment in my loneliness, feeling sorry for myself.

My phone dings several times in a row. I assume its Maddie, sending me an update or another photo. The girls have been sending pictures to me all day. Maddie fell in love with the cabin when she and Deacon went up for there for the fishing trip. Then to escape the post-wedding mess, me and the girls went up there for the week of Christmas. Of course, by December 23rd, Deacon was up there with us. Deacon stayed on the couch that week. When the four of us came back up to the cabin to ring in the New Year, I managed to convince Deacon that he was too old to sleep on that couch. I blush as I recall exactly how we rang in 2015. By the end of that week, the girls never wanted to go back to Nashville. Of course, neither did I.

My phone dings again. This time it's Juliette. She sends information about some new artist she saw today. I forward on the information to Bucky and thank Juliette before telling her to get some rest.

I open my I-PAD and check my email. There are a dozen or so emails about Highway 65. Sadie sent me a sweet message and two digital tracks that she and Avery have been working on. Another email is from Tandy. She claims she's happy in San Francisco but I'm not convinced.

There is another ding on my phone. This time it was a picture of Deacon helping Daphne during an impromptu guitar lesson. Deacon has own a baseball hat, one that I'm sure smells of fish and river water. Daphne's wearing one of Maddie's shirts with a hat to match. I have such mixed emotions looking at this picture. I tear up out of happiness and loneliness. I don't think I've ever seen Deacon so happy, so light. He seems relaxed, for that matter so does Daphne. She seems calm which a miracle in and of itself.

I'm three hours away from them but I swear it feels so much further. I do feel at peace knowing my girls are with Deacon. It isn't like I don't trust Teddy. I do trust them to keep the girls safe and provide supervision. But Teddy has become incredibly insecure with holding onto the girls love. Ever since Maddie found out that Teddy cheated on me, he's been worried that he was losing his little girl. Those fears got so much worse after Maddie found out about Deacon. Now, all of sudden he is fine with Daphne getting her ears pierced and Maddie getting blonde hi-lights. He put the idea in the girls' head that he would be perfectly fine if they were signed to a label. He promised Maddie a new car on her sixteenth birthday and last week checked Daphne out of school "just to have ice cream and go shopping." It feels like I'm in some weird competition with Teddy, to see who the favorite parent is.

Deacon is different. He doesn't try to compete with me or with Teddy. He isn't spoiling my girls for the sake of one-ups man ship. He's taking them fishing and teaching them how to hold a shotgun. He is listening, probably for hours, as Daphne describes in very great detail what kind of party she wants for her next birthday. He's indulging Maddie with things like chocolate pancakes on Saturday mornings and extra-long writing sessions. I scroll back through my pictures that Maddie has already sent me and feel tears in my eyes. Deacon was right. It is supposed to Maddie, Daphne, me and him.

Except I'm a hundred and ninety miles away. I haven't seen the girls in eleven days and it's been twelve since I've last seen Deacon. It isn't like Deacon can just jump on a plane right now with all the press coverage. The press have started stalking Deacon too. Several photographers have been camping outside of Deacon's Nashville home, I guess hoping to get a glimpse of me.

After all, I'm "Runaway Rayna" according to PEOPLE and anyone connected to Runaway Rayna needs to be staked too.

I look down at my watch. It would take an hour before Buck could get a car ready for me, another three hours before I would be at the cabin. I would have to leave the cabin no later than 1:00 pm to be back for sound check. In my head, I rationalize that one of the backup singers could fill in for me. Then, I could stay until 3:30 in the afternoon, maybe 4:00 tomorrow if I am pushing it. I quickly dial Bucky's number. He volunteers his vehicle, it's down in the parking deck. 14 minutes later, hotel security escorts me to freight elevator. I'm wearing a baseball cap with my hair tucked up under and carrying a small bag with me. It doesn't matter. Bucky's car is in the back of the underground parking deck. Plus, it's nearly eleven thirty and the press have all left for the night.

Once out the city, the highway is nearly empty, save for some eighteen wheelers. My phone lights up and I quickly answer. Deacon's voice sounds scratchy, the way it does when he wakes up in the morning. I put my foot on the gas as I pass another mile marker, God, I want to see this man. We talk about our day. I give up him an update on Sadie's album. He tells me about Daphne trying to hook a worm and then plays a recording he made earlier of the girls singing a song they wrote.

Thirty minutes into the conversation, I tell him that I'm only 139 miles away. He worries that I'm driving at this time of night; but, then I can sense the excitement in his voice. As the miles tick away, the two of us talk about the most mundane things: what we are going to eat for breakfast and whether buying Daphne a kayak for her birthday is too much. I hear him yawn and encourage him to go to bed. I'm wide awake and promise Deacon I'm going to call Tandy. It will only be 10 something there. He tells me he loves me and warns me to be careful.

Tandy and I get lost in conversation for a while. She admits she misses me and the girls. She mentions some new boyfriend. His name is Roger. He's an accountant with three grown sons. It doesn't sound serious or interesting that for matter. But the conversation takes nearly 25 minutes and 33 miles to get through.

As the last eighty miles go by, I get lost in my own thoughts. I can't help but wonder how Luke is doing. The press has hounded him just as much as they've stalked me. I hate it for him; after all this breakup is my fault. Of course, Luke loves the limelight way more than I have. He likes the fame in a way that's never appealed to me. Sure, I like being the reigning queen of country. I like my album being on top, love my label having success. But I like being able to walk outside in my pajamas to get my mail. I enjoy grocery shopping without having to worry that people across America will see my picture with toilet paper and deodorant in my grocery bags.

I wrote Luke a letter a few weeks ago, it was an apology of sorts. It was long and heartfelt. But I haven't heard from him since; not that I expect to. I just wish he could know that I truly did care about him. I did love him. I love him the same way I loved Teddy. I love that he wanted me to be happy. I love that he loved me. But it wasn't enough and I was an idiot to believe it ever would be enough.

The next mile marker shows that it is only 35 miles away from my turnoff, then another fifteen minutes to my babies. I arch my back and turn on the radio. I get lost in a few songs and my own thoughts. My foot hits the gas pedal, ready to be home. I feel all warm and tingly thinking that the cabin is home again. My children have beds in the spare room now. Hell, the spare bedroom is "their" room now as they constantly remind me. They have also claimed the cramped small bathroom at the bottom of the stairwell has a new purple and silver shower curtain.

I pull off the main road, drive over the highway bridge and take a deep breath. Three more songs and I pass the community of Millingtown. It's a small town, population less than 500 but it's the closest dot on the map to the cabin. I pass the IGA and the mom and pop diner that serves the best damn red velvet cake in the south. I take the fork in the road, passing the Presbyterian Church. Another two songs and a commercial break later, I hit the dirt road. Potter's Farm Road goes on for almost a mile and half, then I take the cut through the woods. Before I know it, I'm tip toeing up the stairs of the porch.

The soft light from the fireplace dances over the living room. There, asleep on the couch, is Deacon. He looks so peaceful when he is sleeps now, so much different than how it used to be. There were no worry lines on his brow now, he doesn't mumble or wince in his sleep anymore.

I stare at Deacon, thinking this last minute road trip was completely worth it, just for this moment. When I was younger, I would hear some older man or woman talk about how "handsome" or "pretty" their significant other was. It seemed silly back then that some seventy year old woman thought a man in suspenders, high water pants, and a receding hairline was attractive.

Now I get it. It's been twenty six years since the first time I saw Deacon Claybourne. He's still sexy to me, still the most attractive man I've ever seen. It occurs to me how close I came to losing him forever. Well, at least losing him as anything other than Maddie's father. A lump forms in my throat and for a second I get teary eyed. I promise myself that I will never push this man away again, I'll never do anything but hold on to him as tight as possible.

I give Deacon one last look before running into the master bedroom, overnight bag in tow. I change in into pajamas and brush my teeth before heading upstairs. The bedroom door is slightly ajar and I push it open further. Once my eyes adjust, I make out a mop of blonde hair on the left side. A moment later, I make out my Maddie on the right. Their eyes are shut tight and their breathing is deep. I close my eyes in a silent prayer, grateful that I get to see my babies tonight, grateful that they are safe and healthy. And they are asleep, in the same twin bed. The cabin really wasn't made for four people, especially not when two of them are teenage girls.

I make my way back downstairs, turning off several lights as I go. The kitchen seems clean, especially for Deacon. I wash out a few glasses and put them back in the cabinet.

Then I walk over to the couch again. I settle in beside Deacon, content just to stare at him for another moment. I run the pads of my fingers onto Deacon's forehead, brushing his hair to the side. He whispers my name in his sleep. I nudge him awake and he slowly opens his eyes. His smile grows wider, his dimples grow deeper. I lean down to kiss him. It is slow and sweet. I pull him up off the couch and we walk to the bedroom together, our fingers intertwined.

He is still half asleep and the hour is catching up with me too, so I push him into bed and snuggle up beside him. What he doesn't know is I've already set my alarm for 8 am. The girls don't typically wake up before 9 on non-school days. I figure that will give us some 'alone time' before the girls wake up.

Deacon pulls me closer and with one more quick kiss, I fall asleep completely content and relaxed for the first time in over a week. This truly is home now or perhaps home again, depending on how I look at it. Still, there is there no other place in the world I'd rather be right now than right here, right now.


	2. Chapter 2

**Thank you all for the sweet and encouraging comments! Hope you enjoy Chapter 2. **

**Chapter 2-Frostbitten**

I hurriedly plug in the crockpot and brush my hands on my jeans before heading back outside. I throw my gloves on long enough to grab several grocery bags from the vehicle before heading back into the cabin. The snow is falling harder than it did even twenty minutes ago. Behind me, Maddie and Deacon carry in the 80 gallon cooler. Daphne brings in two more bags after them. Like clockwork, the four of us go back out to the SUV again. This time Maddie and I each bring in a laundry basket full of clothes followed by Deacon who has his guitar case in one hand and my big suitcase in the other. Daphne follows behind with her suitcase and her book bag.

The next trip is more tiring. The snow is thick now as it falls down from the sky. My foot sticks in the powder on the ground several times and at Daphne almost trips twice on her way back in. Deacon and I each carry in another suitcase, Maddie brings in another basket of linens. This time, the girls and Deacon head back out but I stay in.

I strip off my coat, gloves, and scarf. I do a mental checklist before deciding to unpack the cooler first. I put the milk, eggs, bacon, butter, chicken, and steaks in the fridge. Next I grab the pyrex dish that I've already put the ingredients in for breakfast casserole. I unload the grocery bags: cake mix, potatoes, half a dozen cans of soup, several boxes of rice, and hamburger buns.

I hear the door open and look back to see Deacon carrying a large bundle of firewood. Maddie's on his heels carrying a few logs. A second later Daphne appears holding half a log and a smile of accomplishment. They all drop their load beside the fireplace before heading back out for another trip.

It is the first weekend in March and I can't believe how awful this winter has been. Nashville has been hit three times with snow and ice storms already. The girls have missed over two weeks of school already because of the earlier storms. According to the weathermen, this storm tonight may top them all; at last count, they were predicting eighteen inches. The one in mid-January left them without power for almost three days, Lord knows how long this one will impact the area.

I'm officially on hiatus from my tour until April. Deacon's first single cracked the top 30 a few weeks ago. But with the weather the way it has been, he's been forced to do most of his publicity via call-in interviews and satellites. Still, he can't go on tour due to his contract with Luke. Of course, Luke doesn't want Deacon on tour with him either, so Deacon is basically paid to stay home. His label is hopeful that Deacon's CD will go gold before the summer. While my guy pretends he only cares that people like his music, it's obviously how excited he is about the possibility of selling a hundred thousand records.

The girl's school decided to prematurely cancel school for tomorrow and Friday. Then this plan kind of fell into place. The cabin had a generator and was really only a thirty minute drive from the outskirts of Nashville. So the four of us rushed to pack every jacket, glove, and slab of perishable food in the house and got in the 4 drive wheel drive vehicle.

I look outside and estimate another inch of snow has fallen outside. Just then Deacon and the girls come in with more firewood. This time Deacon declares that they are staying inside. Daphne visibly shivers as she and Maddie began to take off their top layers. Deacon shakes his head free of ice before he leans down and starts messing in the hearth.

Soon, both girls are upstairs making their bed and unpacking while Deacon and I do the same in our room. Deacon admits he caught me looking at his ass while he was starting the fire.

"You do have a cute one," I admit while we tuck the corners of the fitted sheet onto the bed.

Somehow we end up on the bed instead of the comforter. With the girls bound to come down the stairs at any moment, it isn't like this is leading to anything. But it is nice to be able to make out with him anytime I want. As Deacon's hand grabs my ass, I pull back realizing how close we are to scaring the girls for life.

I push myself off the bed, waiting for the groan that I know is coming from Deacon. But he knows we have to stop too. Hell, Deacon is terrified one of the girls will walk in on us. Lately, we've had sex in the shower a lot. Deacon figures the water muffles any sounds we make and the girls are less likely to walk into the bathroom the way they walk into the bedroom.

In fact, when the girls are staying with us we've basically been having sex everywhere but in our bedroom: the SUV, Deacon's truck, the pool house, the laundry room with the driers on.

The only thing I actually like about the girls staying with Teddy is being able to make love to Deacon in a bed. I smile at that thought as I head into the kitchen. The crock pot is steaming and the chicken and dumplings smell delicious if I do say so myself. Deacon grabs a can of corn and dumps it into a pot before turning on the stove.

We share a small smile. It's an understanding of how much even the mundane things like getting dinner together mean to us. When Deacon was in rehab the first few times, I missed him like crazy. It wasn't just the actual time in rehab, before each of those trips the real Deacon had already been gone for a while. All I wanted to do was have him kiss me again without the smell of Jack Daniels on his breath, to have him look me in the eye with those clear bright eyes staring back at me. Those times were awful but necessary for him, for us.

When I married Teddy, I knew I would miss kissing Deacon and making love to that man. I knew I'd miss writing songs. I would miss having my best friend around all the time. But I never realized how much I'd miss this kind of stuff, the mundane stuff as Deacon calls it. I had no clue that I'd long to make dinner with him or clean the house with him. But God I did miss it. And now I've gotten it all back.

Deacon pulls out a gallon of sweet tea that I made a few hours ago then goes to set out the table. The snow is still falling outside. There has to be nine, maybe ten inches of snow on the ground. I hear the girls laughing upstairs and can't help but smile again.

~/~/~

Two days into our "Snow-cation" as we've started to call it and I wouldn't mind if the roads didn't clear for another two weeks. Yesterday morning we made pancakes and watched the last of the snow fall from the living room windows. Then we all bundled up and walked nearly a mile in the snow to the hill near the main road. The four of spent almost two hours outside sledding and falling down the hill. Deacon and I lost terribly to Maddie and Daphne in a snow ball on the way home. Then after long naps, we spent the night huddled up by the fireplace singing songs and going through a couple of photo albums the girls found upstairs. The girls asked a million questions: Why was my hair that big? Why was Deacon's hair that big? Why did the bus look so beat up? What is a Farmer's Day Parade?

The girls started yawning around ten, still tired from the day's activities. I smile remembering that Deacon and I didn't get to bed until around midnight. Of course, Deacon made me go trapesing to the damn SUV just so "the girls wouldn't hear anything." I blush slightly remembering how he made it up to me with the country radio on and the heat blaring through the vents.

Today, Daphne and Deacon head outside to build a snowman. Maddie and I decide to stay inside in the warm. She's got a book to read for her English before next week and I just want to stay in my pajamas. For a while, I sip my coffee and watch as Deacon and Daphne's middle layer falls apart. Maddie gets my attention when she asks about the Eternity sign above the door. She apparently caught Deacon and I looking at it last night. I tell her about the old country store with homemade signs somewhere in Kentucky. Deacon and I had been on a fifteen city tour, small clubs and venues, when the bus broke down near that store. I leave that we bought three signs originally. The other two said "Forever &" "Ever &". They were a set of three and cost $30 total.

Back then, Deacon and I spent twenty three hours a day together. It was just the two of us and the music. It was that all-consuming stuff of first loves and teenage years and those signs spoke to me. I placed them on the side of the bed on that old bus for the rest of the tour. Then, we hung them over the kitchen cabinets in our first apartment. We put them in the hallway in that house of McDonald Ave. That was where Deacon ruined the first two signs after too much Jim Beam. But the third sign was still intact when Deacon bought the cabin. It was the first thing we put up in the cabin, the day after I performed for my very first CMA awards. In the ensuing twenty years, that Eternity sign has hung in the same place.

Maddie asks if I loved Deacon even while I was married to, "my other dad."

Even during the years when I was married to Teddy, the Eternity sign stayed up. It was Deacon's unspoken vow that he'd love me forever. I should have asked him to take it down back then, but I couldn't bring myself to do it. I wanted him to love me until eternity, I knew I would love him at least that long, so it only seemed fair.

I think long and hard, trying to figure out exactly how to explain myself. The best thing I can say is "yes, but you know I loved him in a different way."

Maddie nods, seemingly satisfied with my answer. She may still be a teenager but she has already experienced how complicate life can be. She loves Deacon and Teddy too. She asks if I'm happy. I nod, admitting that I hope she's happy too. Maddie gives me a serious look and seems to think about her own answer.

Maddie admits that she is really happy that Deacon and I are together but wishes I would have said yes to Deacon's proposal instead of Luke's. It certainly would have saved everyone a lot of heartache. I whisper "me too" before we change topics.

Maddie and I start to talk about her formal dance. It is a boy-girl dance, the week after next. Maddie tells me about Nathan Bright. They have Spanish and Science together. He's cute and a baseball player. They have been passing notes back and forth and Nathan said she was pretty last week. He sent her a text message, asking her to the dance last night. We decide to go dress shopping once the snow melts. It makes my heart hurt a little, Maddie is nearly grown. I tell her about my first date. I can't even remember his last name now but he was so dreamy back then. Daddy not liking him was a huge plus as well. Sure, he ended up being a bad kisser and was kind of dumb but still my ninth grade-self thought he was just perfect.

We laugh over nothing at all as Maddie and I try out hairstyles for her dance.

Deacon and Daphne wonder in around lunchtime and grab some sandwiches. The four of us end up playing some new form of Pictionary. Deacon and I are on teams during the first round and do fairly well. Then Maddie and Daphne decide they want to go sledding some more. The adults decide to say inside. I have a couples of hours' worth of paperwork for Highway 65. Deacon says he wants to stay around the house, whatever that means.

I spend the next few hours on the phone with Bucky and reading over never ending contracts dealing with Sadie being an opening act this summer.

When I'm done, I find Deacon with a tape measure in one hand and a notebook in the other. I ask him what he's doing but he just shushes me for a minute while he figures out something.

After a few moments of silence, Deacon announces that "it can work."

"What can work?"

Deacon lays down his tape measure and pen and asks what I would think about remodeling the cabin. I raise an eyebrow while Deacon expands on his idea. He suggests we could add another six hundred square feet to add a third bedroom and another bathroom.

I raise an eyebrow thinking of all the time and money this was going to cost but Deacon keeps going. He talks about building the porch that we used to imagine: one with sturdier wood and a big swing pointed towards the water. Deacon talks about a screened in part too, right off the kitchen with outdoor furniture to spend summer nights on. It all sounds like a lovely idea, one that Deacon just throws out there. But then he starts quoting tax write offs for the studio and how much energy efficient windows are. He really has thought about this and being doing research on this. It surprises me because Deacon has never talked about remodeling or redoing anything in the cabin before. He's always liked the cabin just the way it was.

Later that night, as we are lay on the couch, the conversation goes back to remodeling the cabin. He encourages me imagine growing old out here in the middle of nowhere.

Right now, we've been staying at the house Teddy and I bought together. It makes sense: the girls consider it home, it is less than four miles to the girls' school, and there is plenty of space. Deacon isn't crazy about the house, or its location or its former tenant. But it does make sense, at least during the school year.

Truth is, Maddie's in high school now and Daphne will be starting middle school next year. It makes my heart hurt to think that in a few short years, I'm going to be an empty nester and there is no way Deacon is going to be okay living in a mansion the rest of our lives. I feel almost giddy at the idea that we are back here again, back in the cabin, back to planning our future, to knowing that we are in it for the long haul.

I decide to indulge Deacon's imagination. I joke that we should build a small studio too. We could record songs in our pajamas without ever leaving our house. Deacon's eyes light up and I realize he thinks I'm serious. It would cost at least $30,000 to get something even remotely decent and that would be just for the studio. Deacon admits renovations would be expensive but nothing we couldn't deal with. He tells me that he's been thinking about selling his Nashville home. Scarlett has been staying with Gunnar more and more and Deacon has practically abandoned the place. It would certainly open up the cash flow but this all seems so sudden.

"Just think about it," Deacon encourages before kissing me. I mumble an "okay" before deepening the kiss.


	3. Chapter 3

CHAPTER 3

(and probably the end of this little sorta-kinda series)

The cabin is quiet now, a miracle in and of itself. For the last two months, there has been constant hammering and drilling mixed with booming voices yelling about paint cans and sanding tools. But now, I can hear the birds in the trees and the water babbling over the rocks. I sit down on the porch steps, breathing in the scent of pine trees and the faint fragrance of jasmine. I've always loved how this place made me feel: at peace, relaxed, in love.

I look back at the house, admiring the freshly painted shutters which are now a deep green hue framing the new weather proof windows. The addition to the cabin has come in right under budget but it has taken three months longer than originally scheduled. Of course, it took us almost nine months to decide exactly what we wanted to do. That poor architect drew up at least half a dozen different plans to our exact specifications just to have us change them again.

As it was, the cabin was a one and a half bathroom, two bedroom escape. It is now a four bedroom, two and half bath home with a small music studio. The renovations had cost a fortune between upgrades, permits, flood insurance, and a million little setbacks and unexpected problems. Deacon went ahead and sold his house about six months ago and even with everything we've done to the cabin, he still made a decent profit.

But it all seems all worth it now.

The old wooden planks from the porch are gone now. They've been replaced by brighter, sturdier wood that wraps around the sides of the house. It's become my perfect southern porch. On the eastern side of the house is our screened in porch. While it's a small area, we've been able to fit a small outdoor couch and matching chairs. Last week, the electrician came out and installed the ceiling fans and lighting. Since then the four of us have gravitated to this space after dinner.

The western side of the porch is still bare save for the large porch swing hanging from the rafters. I had custom made pillows and cushions made by the sweet old lady at the sewing shop in town. They are blue and green with our initials engraved on them. Maddie called it sappy but I can't help it. I've wanted to be Mrs. Clayborne for decades. I'm not going to apologize for getting excited over finally being his wife.

Almost two years, Deacon gave my ring back and swore he could be a father and husband. It took me almost another year before I actually got that ring back. Then in February, the day after his birthday, I finally put a ring on him. I smile as I hold up my ring finger. Every time I think about being Mrs. Deacon Clayborne I get tingly all over. Maybe I'm still in the honeymoon stage but I get so giddy every time I think about being his wife.

The night Deacon came over to my house, he said he knew how to love me now. I didn't really know what he meant. But now, this cabin is proof of every promise he made that night.

Our home.

Even with the renovations, we can't live here full time. The girls' school and sports activities make that impossible. But with the summer here, we'll be able to live up here almost full time. The girls have fallen in love with the cabin now too. The four of us have a home now, just like the way I envisioned it twenty years ago. Okay I didn't foresee the ex-husband and jilted ex-fiancée in the picture, but the rest is about the same.

Most mornings we wake up and make breakfast together, like some family in a department store catalogue. Then we all split up. Maddie prefers writing and playing her guitars on the porch in the morning. Deacon likes to go fishing or hunting then. I stay inside and check emails, call Bucky, and do other work for Highway 65. Daphne just goes with whichever person tickles her fancy for that day. Then for the afternoon, we typically do something outside. Some days we go kayaking or canoeing, other times we go walking on one of the hiking trails. Today though, Maddie and Daphne decided they wanted to go ride their bikes down to the diner to get some ice cream.

Deacon and I decided to stay back and hang around the house. I needed to work on some contract stuff with Highway 65 and Deacon wanted to work on some new material. I look at the clock and realize the girls should be back anytime now.

Deacon's boots walk over the new wood a moment before I feel his breath on my neck and his hands around my waist.

"Hey babe," I smile as my hands find their way atop Deacon's. I relax into his embrace and he seems just as content to enjoy the quiet as I am. The sun sinks lower in the western sky, bouncing bright beams of light off the water. He asks me a few questions about Sadie's concerts and I give him an update on Juliette's new album. Then the quiet takes over relax further into his embrace.

We both smile as we hear squealing, laughing, happy voices coming over the meadow. As the laughing gets louder, Deacon and I turn and watch as Maddie and Daphne riding their bikes up the driveway.

I glance over at Deacon. Despite the lines on his face, he's still the most the attractive man I've ever seen. I watch him watch the girls and can't help but smile myself. This last year, he's become even more attractive to me. Where before his blue eyes held worry and fear, now they hold a peace. The lines on his face stretch upwards now, even in his sleep. He always seems to be smiling, always laughing.

Soon both girls are telling the same story, over each other. Apparently, they found a snake on the way home. Maddie insists the snake was green and 2 feet long, Daphne says it was yellow and black and at least as long as the car. For some reason the climbed a tree to get away from the snake. Then somehow they found a birds nest but not in the same tree that they climbed.

Seeing the dirt on Daphne's feet and in her hair, I send my youngest child up to take a shower before dinner. Maddie, Deacon and I decide on twice baked potatoes for dinner. The last few nights we've grilled out with meat so this is a good change of pace. I turn on a pot of water to steam some broccoli while Deacon and Maddie busy themselves with the spuds.

I mention to Deacon that we are going to have to go in to town soon. Town is a very loose word for Dalton. There's two gas stations, a grocery store, a Laundromat, and a mom-and-pop pizza joint. A half mile out of town is a large fruit and vegetable stand by the side of the road. We've been getting our produce from the stand and buying everything else from the IGA. I find it amusing that the girls look forward to shucking corn and peeling carrots at the cabin when at home they complain when I ask them to get the forks out.

Conversation comes and goes as we taste the ingredients, while we mix and pour. Daphne emerges from the stairs with wet hair and a summer dress. Daphne asks if they can have ice cream after dinner.

"Not tonight, you just had some this afternoon," says Deacon before I can answer. He sounds so fatherly right now, I can't help but grin despite Daphne's deep frown. After a moment, Daphne shrugs and climbs up on the counter to get the dishes out. Ten minutes later, the food is on the table and everyone begins to eat, as if they didn't have a care in the world.

Being out here does something to everyone's attitudes. It makes us all happier and relaxed. When dinner is served later than usual or the power goes off for a few hours, we all tend to just roll with it. Between my diva-ness, Daphne's smart mouth, Maddie's teenager behavior, and Deacon's moodiness, it's practically a miracle how well we all get along up here.

I think it's the fresh air but Deacon is convinced that we are all happy because this was how we are supposed to be: together, a family.

It does make me sad to think that the week after next is Teddy's time with the girls. They will have fun I'm sure. After all, Teddy is planning on taking them to Texas for a few days while he is doing some mayoral conference. Neither of the girls are thrilled about it but we've tried to make it sound exciting.

After dinner, Daphne performs several songs on the keyboard we got her. She, like her mama, is so much better with the ivories than the strings. Then Daphne grabs a picture off the bookshelf and asks us about it. It is one of me and Deacon from a St. Patrick's Day party around 1990. It was the first gig that Deacon and I ever played together, as a duet. Deacon talks about the bar in Memphis, packed with drunk college kids. I add that the two of us had been dating about five months at that point and I was completely crazy about Deacon.

He nods with a smirk, "She was nuts about me. All the girls back then were." I playfully hit him on the shoulder and laugh about the car broke down on the way home. The cost of the repairs to that beat up Chevy cost nearly as much as we made to play there.

It's surprising how many things Deacon and I have kept hidden that we openly share with the girls. They've seen the pear tree with our initials on it and heard a rather mild version of the day we carved them. Maddie and Daphne have seen the pictures of us as teenagers that have been in stored in the spare bedroom for years. Stories of Bluebird performances and writing sessions are regular dinner conversation now. Those have always been our stories: mine and Deacon's. Now they are the history of the four of us. I can almost imagine our grandchildren rolling their eyes as they hear these stories for the umpteenth time.

I overhear Deacon telling Maddie about the night we won our first Grammy. I thought winning a Grammy would be the happiest moment of my life but honestly watching Deacon win his was the thing that I loved the most. I'd spoke into the microphone first. I announced to everyone that this was a dream come true. Then I went through the thank yous: to Tandy and Watty, my manager Bucky. Then I went on for a few sentences about Bill Harrison, Marty Bowler, and J.H. Deerson, the president, vice president and publisher for the little record company called Edgehill. Then, lastly I turned to Deacon and said that most of the success was thanks to "songwriting partner, my best friend, and the man I love."

Deacon's speech had been shorter. He smiled into the microphone and held up the small trophy. Quickly he said he loved to make a speech but he was ready to start celebrating with his co-writer. The entire audience laughed. I blushed but laughed too.

Of course, after the back room interviews, we did celebrate. That limo ride through the streets of Los Angeles had been magical. We'd been drunk on expensive champagne, the high of our first win, and each other. We went out to a couple of bars, screaming and celebrating with all our new friends. We spent those early morning hours laughing and kissing and dancing our way through the early morning hours. By the time we got back to the hotel, we had a dozen bouquets of flowers and nearly thirty congratulatory phone calls and messages.

I float back to the present, listening as Deacon finishes his story. Maddie smiles with delight. It seems so simple now: guitars and fresh fruit, the cabin and each other. I feel myself getting teary-eyed. I can't help it. I fall asleep beside a sober, content Deacon. My girls are happy and healthy. Maddie and Deacon have forgiven me for all the years I kept the truth for them. In a year and half, they have managed to forge a bond that most fathers and daughters don't have after a lifetime. They are so alike in some ways but when they are together, they both seem brighter somehow.

Maddie excuses herself, claiming she's tired. There is now way Maddie is going to bed. I know full well that Maddie is headed straight to Daphne's room to finish the song they've been working on. Truth is, I don't mind if they stay up all night. We've got nowhere to be tomorrow.

As Deacon begins to rub my shoulders and massages my neck, I let out a light moan. He takes my hand and leads me into the bedroom. Quietly, he closes the door behind me. Only in the last few months has the mandatory 'shower for sex' or 'quickies in the car' faze faded out. Now he seems okay to actually m

His fingers continue their ministrations on my neck as he pushes and messages deeper into my neck. I take another deep breath. He lifts my shirt over my head, directing me to lift my arms above my head.

One of the smartest things we did was put Daphne and Maddie's rooms at the other end of the house. We can't hear their loud giggling and squealing in the middle of the night. Luckily, the girls can't hear ours either.

Our bedroom is still the same as it has been for years. Same bed frame, new mattresses, same gorgeous view of the river. We were able to expand the master bathroom, nearly doubling its size. Now we a double head shower, complete with a very convenient wooden bench along the back wall. I got my porcelain tub, perfect for two. We also made the closet bigger, which already seems too small again.

Aloud, I tell Deacon 'thank you'. He doesn't ask what for. Instead, his hands move lower and deeper into my back. His teeth nibble on my ear, his breath hot against me. He asks how I'd feel about the full body treatment. I practically purr against him before I slide down the bed.

When Deacon promised that he knew how to love me now, I didn't know what that meant. It was a sweet vow but one I thought was said more out of desperation than truth. But now, months later he has made his words clear. This house, these weekends away, the memories we are creating here show me exactly what he meant.

Deacon's always been romantic. The song lyrics he would write, the way he would look at me on stage, those things were always better than flowers. But now I get the lyrics and the looks in additions to roses because it's Tuesday. He folds the laundry without me asking and surprises me with words and poems on my pillow just because. Deacon drives Daphne to dance practice and spends hours helping Maddie with her guitar lessons. He goes grocery shopping with me, he says its cause he would miss me too much if he stayed at home.

Every once in a while, he insists on going to an expensive restaurant. He gets dressed up in a suit and tie, never complains, and takes me out to eat food that he thinks is overpriced. Yet, he does it with a smile on his face. He says it's because that is what married folk do.

Of course, I go every third Thursday to the Bluebird now. When Deacon goes fishing during the warm months, I come along. Typically, I bring a blanket, a book, and tanning lotion. But, I'm close by him because the truth is, I'd miss him too much too. Deacon has his own space at the office and helps produce most of the albums that Highway 65 releases. But we ride into the office together. We eat lunch together every day. When he needs to stay late to work on a track, I sit on the couch behind him.

We are a team now and I can't get enough of him.

Deacon's hands play with the muscles of my back, kneading and stretching. I moan that I love his hands. I've always loved his hands. I close my eyes content to let him do as he will. He leaves feather kisses down my back, going up and down, side to side. He leaves me for a second and comes back. The air smells thick with coconut. I hear his hands lathering up the lotion, getting it warm for me. A moment later, the thick, warm lotion is on my back. I sigh and feel myself becoming more relaxed.

His finger gently travels along the line of my underwear. He urges me to "lift up." Slowly, I lift up my hips and feel Deacon quickly move the lacey garment down my legs. I settle back down on the bed, letting the back of my legs slide over the cool sheets. His hands travel slowly: deeply uncoiling the tight muscles on my upper back. Then, his hands move lower, working the lotion in slowly. His fingers touch my ass and suddenly relaxing turns into a longing. I try to roll over but instead his hands press firmly against my back. He tells me he isn't done yet.

Deacon can take all night if he wants to. Just like with the girls, I don't have anywhere else to be either.

Soon his hands are replaced with lips and I moan out loud. Soft lips touch hot skin as he keeps me on my stomach. I squirm against the sheets. Then his fingers are inside of me, teasing me. When I try to buck against him, his fingers stop their movements. My head is against the mattress and I moan in frustration. This is Deacon's new favorite game, making me beg. This is the best kind of game, the kind that we both end up winning at.

I feel Deacon's smile in the tips of his fingers as he runs his hands up and down my back. I whimper his name but he pretends not to hear me. He grabs one of the pillows and gently places them under my hips. Again, his fingers tease me from behind, stroking and swirling. I moan his name again and beg him to quit teasing me. His hands leave me for a moment. The bed dip and out of the corner of my eye see his boxers hit the floor. Then he's back, on top of me, behind me. His left hand catches mine and I can't help but notice our wedding rings, intertwined. If I wasn't so damn turned on, I think I could cry at the image.

He enters me slowly, making me pant in anticipation and ecstasy. It drives me crazy that I can't see him but at the same time is such a damn turn on.

Deacon goes slowly, thrusting in and out while he licks and kisses my back. He groans my name as one hand reaches between my legs to stroke me as he thrust in me from behind. Soon, I'm lost in the motion of his hips. My stomach clinches in the unmistakable sign that my orgasm is coming. A few strokes later, I clinch hard around him as my fingernails bite into the mattress. He slows down a little, letting me ride out my pleasure. Once my breathing slows a little, Deacon grabs my ass and starts thrusting harder. I push back against him, knowing just what he likes. He groans my name a little too loudly and I feel him pulsing inside of me.

Deacon pulls out of me and I roll over content just to stare at the ceiling for a minute. Deacon's head lands beside mine on the pillow for a minute. He whispers that we are going to have start having sex in the shower again, or the car. We are getting too loud again.

"You were the loud one this time," I playfully remind him.

We share a long kiss before he mentions that the stars are supposed to be really bright tonight. I smile into another kiss. I suggest a date on the porch swing as we both get off the bed. I grab his discarded shirt and boxers while he throws on sweatpants and a wife-beater. Deacon gets a piece of cobbler from the fridge and I pour a glass of milk. We venture out on the porch and relax against the pillows with our initials on them.

Somewhere between fighting over the peach dessert, sharing milk, and staring at the stars, I tell Deacon how smart he was for thinking of the renovations and for buying the cabin in the first place. He just laughs into the night and says the only smart thing he ever did was go talk to the pretty redhead that wondered into the Bluebird.

His eyes meet mine and I whisper that he makes me so happy. Before he can respond we hear the door open. The girls come rushing out in their pajamas, Maddie with her guitar in hand. They have apparently just finished their song. The play it through twice before Deacon and I start applauding. They are so talented it takes my breath away.

Maddie thinks the bridge needs work, while Daphne asks if she can have some ice cream now. As the girls and Deacon head inside, my eyes look out of the water and the sky, lit up with stars. I don't know what in the world I've ever done to be this happy or lucky but I promise myself no matter what I have to do, I'll hold on this feeling for the rest of my life.


	4. Chapter 4

Found this story on my computer as something I never finished a while ago and after a little bit of tweeking, thought it would be a good way to finish this little collection of stories. Hope you enjoy it! Also major EEEEEEEEEE at the 2nd promo for Nashville! Thanks for all the wonderful comments! They are incredibly encouraging and so appreciated.

**Chapter 4**

I look around the cabin desperately trying to find my cellphone charger. Maddie has an absolutely terrible sense of direction and it is the first time she's driving by herself up to the cabin. If my phone is dead, she will probably end up in Canada before someone turns her around.

Okay, she's not actually driving herself. Technically Tyler is driving her. I roll my eyes at that thought. I suppose he's nice enough for a nineteen year old sophomore from Duke, whose major goals in life are: to own every possible collared shirt known to man and to misquote country music songs in every conversation. In some ways Tyler reminds me of an odd mix of Teddy and my father. God help us all if this becomes a lot more serious.

But Tyler isn't my biggest problem right now. I look out towards the water and see Daphne's blonde hair glowing in the sunlight. Nope, my biggest problem is the fifteen year old standing out on the dock fishing with Deacon. Every day, my youngest looks more and more like jailbait and less and less like the sweet, innocent thing I pray she stays for years to come. Deacon says Daphne inherited my genes: long legs, lots of personality, and my knack for maturing way too fast. Deacon and Teddy have bonded slightly over protecting Maddie from the press and disliking Maddie's high school boyfriends; but, they've formed a brotherhood over beating off the boys with a stick when it comes to Daphne.

I shake my head. Maddie at seventeen went a little boy crazy for a while and we survived that. Of course, there were a lot of tears: some from Maddie, some from the boys, but most were from Teddy and Deacon. We all got through Maddie's craziness with no pregnancies, no major emotional trauma, and is now just six weeks away from being done with her freshman year of college. We will get through Daphne's high school years too.

I check the oven: the ham is still a good hour away from being done. I go through my mental checklist: biscuits are unthawing on the counter, potatoes are boiling on the stove, and pineapples are in the fridge. Deacon has the baked beans going on the grill and I finished icing my cake this morning.

Daphne wonders in and mentions she is going upstairs to take a shower. I look around at the house and try to find some picture that needs dusting or some pillow that needs fluffing. I look out at the water and see Deacon is packing up his fishing equipment. Daphne is upstairs, Maddie and her boyfriend are almost here, and Easter lunch is almost done. Even with all that, my man is so incredibly good-looking, I can't help but stare. He may be turning 50 next year, but he is just so beautiful. He hates when I say that, but it is so true. The timer goes off on the stove and I pull myself away from the window.

Forty-five minutes later, Deacon and Daphne have showered. Most of the food is ready. Maddie and Tyler arrived ten minutes ago and the weather is just beautiful for early April. Despite Deacon's best attempts to set Tyler up in Daphne's room and have the girls share Maddie's room, Maddie and Tyler just marched straight up stairs without so much as a word.

Deacon looks at me with a "fix-it" look but I just shrug. I was living with Deacon by my seventeenth birthday and Maddie is more mature than I was then. Hell, Maddie may be more mature than I am right now. I tell Deacon if he wants Maddie and Tyler to sleep in separate beds, he is going to have to do the dirty work.

Daphne rolls her eyes, much like I do, and tries to change the subject.

My smile widens as I lean over to kiss my husband's cheek. It is my way of telling him that everything will be fine. His frown grows as his eyes venture back to the steps. I encourage Deacon to go check on the baked beans. He grumbles as he walks outside about "his daughter" and "that punk".

Lunch itself is relatively quiet. I do notice several looks pass between my daughters. I learned a long time ago that those specific looks are never a good thing. It either means they are plotting something or are sharing a secret.

During dessert, Maddie brings up that there is something she wants to talk to us about. I look down at Maddie's hand and see that there is no diamond ring on her finger. Of course, that could be because she and Tyler aren't engaged or it could be because they've simply hidden the ring until after the announcement. Then a scarier thought occurs. A crying baby flashes through my head. I steady myself. If Goldie Hawn and Cher can be a sexy grandmothers, so can I. Time seems to stop as I look over at my husband. Deacon is a deep shade of something between green and red, clearly having the same thoughts that I am.

Maddie takes another breath and announces she is, "going to take a year off of college to see if I can get a record deal."

I close my eyes in thankfulness that I won't be shopping for veils or cribs anytime soon. Deacon calmly asks Maddie to explain her change in career direction. After all, a year ago we went through this same discussion at length.

While Maddie often spoke about writing music and performing, she'd faced several hard years in the media limelight. The paparazzi eventually got tired of following Deacon and I around endlessly. That was when we felt comfortable enough to go forward getting married. But when the news of our marriage certificate surfaced, the press went crazy again. When that finally died down, Luke released another album and did about a million and half interviews. That threw everything back up into the spotlight. He started talking about Deacon and I; nothing was too personal or slanderous. Still, his jokes about Deacon and I were hurtful to the girls.

Then the media went from a boring ass married couple to our very pretty teenage daughters.

Maddie's first performance at Tootsie was nearly ruined by those damn flash cameras. Then one of those so called journalist did a nasty internet piece of work about nepotism. The article claimed that Scarlett and Deacon each wrote songs for artists in exchange for Maddie getting slots at the Bluebird and The Big Lagoon. The article also mentioned Maddie sang back-up vocals for Juliette on several tracks because I offered Juliette a higher percentage of album sales. The accusations were ridiculous but still it hurt Maddie deeply. The first time I saw Maddie on the front page of the tabloid wearing a bikini I nearly passed out. She had been sunbathing in Teddy's backyard but it was apparently visible from the road. Then stories starting popping up about Maddie's paternity, her bra size, and the failed attempt by Teddy of getting Maddie signed to Edgehill.

At the same time, Maddie's friends from high school were doing college applications and picking out dorm furniture. Despite how much she wanted a career in country music, Maddie wanted to experience an anonymous, normal lifestyle for a while. So Teddy and the two of us took turns doing campus tours and helping Maddie with studying for her SATs. Then when her letters of acceptance came in, she decided North Carolina was where she wanted to go.

Despite how often I toured and how much time Highway 65 took up, it amazed me how truly sad and lost I felt when Maddie went to college. Daphne and Deacon both moped around a lot too. Daphne asked if we could get a dog. Instead we got a beta fish, a hot tub, and new kayaks.

I hear a loud shout followed by Maddie running full-fledged down the stairs and jumping on top of the couch. A moment later Daphne squealed coming out of her room and joined her sister on top of the couch. Between both of them yelling and squealing I could make out "snake" "big" and "rat".

A moment later, Tyler came downstairs holding a small garden snake. It couldn't have been more than a foot long but it was still a live snake. I back away towards the corner as Tyler walks outside with the reptile.

"Kill it!" yells Maddie as Tyler walks out the door. He yells back that he's just going to put in near the tree line. Daphne says something insane about "all God's creatures deserve to live" and then squeals again about that "rat in my room."

"Rat?" I ask trying to figure out what is going on.

Deacon comes into the cabin and a very odd expression. Daphne yells that there is a rat in her room and tells Deacon to "kill it!" Maddie yells back wondering what happened to "all of God's creature?"

Daphne yells back that, "rats are rats, not creatures!"

I watch as my husband walks calmly walks into the master bedroom and he emerges a second later with a shoebox in hand. I raise an eyebrow considering that I don't remember there being a shoebox anywhere in our room. Deacon walks into Daphne's bedroom and comes a few minutes later with a closed shoebox and a trapped rat.

The girls finally calm down as they share another piece of cake. They they announce they want to go for a walk. Maddie hasn't been to the cabin since Christmas and says she misses just exploring the wide openness. Tyler hangs back, saying he wants to catch a nap.

It's just the four of us, walking on the same beaten path we have walked for the last five years. The big bushes near the woods are already blooming and Daphne and Maddie pick a few flowers to put in their hair. Somewhere along the way, Maddie grabs my hand and we start talking about her decision to pursue her career. She is thinking about renting an apartment with Jenny Brankcroft, one of Sadie's backup singers. She is in need of a roommate and the two of them are the same age.

I ask about her trust fund. Maddie actually has several of them. Daddy made both she and Daphne millionaires about twenty times over. Teddy and I created college funds for both girls and Deacon started a third one before Maddie after the wreck.

She talks about getting a job and I keep myself from sighing out loud. Even waiting tables in Nashville can be competitive. There are so many starving artists and dreamers and only about twenty restaurants with live music. I remind her that we have a studio right at the house and I happen to know someone who owns their own label. I tell her that, "You could stay in school and then work on the weekends or on breaks."

I know she is going to turn down my offer. She, like me, wants to make it on her own. She'll have enough people who don't take her seriously because of her parents. Signing to my label right now would make it even worse. I know all this but still I wish she'd sign with Highway 65. I wouldn't threaten to sue her if she was three days late on her songs. I wouldn't market her as some sexy bimbo, I wouldn't let the album contain songs that she didn't truly believe in. Maddie tells me that she has to make it on her own. I hold onto her hand tighter, somehow trying to convey that I understand but hate it at the same time.

Even though Maddie is taller than me now, she leans over and rest her head in the crook of my neck. It's the same way she has always done, even she was a newborn. I whisper that I love her as we walk slower. We hear Daphne yell "hurry up!" from up ahead. Deacon calls us both "slow pokes". I give Maddie a knowing look before she and I both run as fast as we can to catch up to them.

Dinner is a combination of leftovers and hilarious re-enactments of the girls finding those vermin in their rooms. Eventually we end up outside on the porch with blankets on our legs and coffee mugs in our hands. Tyler tells us about the wreck that took his father's life. Losing a parent hits close to home for me, the wreck hits Deacon's soft spot too. Daphne mentions trying out for the tennis team in the fall. I pray she's more athletic than Maddie or I am. Lord knows, she couldn't be any less athletic than us.

A little after midnight, Deacon and I start yawning. It amuses Maddie to no end that now it is the parents going to bed first. I give my girls a kiss goodnight, Deacon does the same. He warns everyone to lock up before they go to bed.

While Deacon and I tidy up the kitchen I give Deacon a knowing glance. He pretends not to notice. We head to bed sharing a long kiss before I go to close the bedroom door. Just then I hear the kids come inside. Maddie announces that she is staying on the pull out couch. Daphne says there is no way she is sleeping in her room either. The girls are already pulling blankets and comforters out of the linen closet. I hear Tyler say he's sleeping upstairs where there is an actual bed.

I let out a big grin and close our bedroom door. Deacon looks like the cat who swallowed the canary. I get into bed beside my hubby. I turn off the light and lean into kiss Deacon.

"You know, the shoebox already had holes on it."

Deacon jerks his head to the side and looks at me, asking what I mean.

"The box that you put that rat in, how lucky that you just happened to find a shoebox in our bedroom, one with holes in it too."

Deacon lets out a long smile as his eyes sparkle a little bit. He just shrugs and says that "you told me to do the dirty work, so I did." We talk for a while about Maddie's decision to quit school. I admit to being disappointed but considering I thought she was getting married or having a baby, this seems manageable. Deacon says he wishes Maddie would stay in college too but says he won't be like Lamar. I lean against Deacon and tell him what an amazing father he is.

Teddy has been wonderful with the girls too but overtime he seems to have grown less stable. His stint as Nashville's mayor ended three years ago when he won the Representatives' race. Since then, Teddy is in Washington more than Tennessee. Even when he's home Teddy is always at some fundraiser or caucus or meeting. I suppose it is only fair. When the girls were young, it was me that was gone all the time. I was chasing my dreams then; he's chasing them now.

Deacon and I talk for a few minutes about new prospects for signing to the label. I worry that signing another artist may compromise the whole company. We have seven current artists on Highway 65, plus myself. In our Nashville office, we have 21 employees alone and eight more in our New York satellite office. On any given weekday there are PR emergencies and writers block problems. There is always something new: a new album, a new single, a new glitch on some tour. But Deacon thinks we should do it. We share a kiss before turning out the lights; we will talk more about this tomorrow while the kids sleep in. But I already know what is going to happen, Deacon is going to convince me to his way of thinking.

He tells me that he loves me and I whisper the same back. I admit to being a little excited about this. Maddie and Tyler aren't leaving until Thursday morning. Deacon, Daphne, and I are staying until Saturday. I get my family all to myself for the next few days. I can't wait to see the many ways Deacon will attempt to circumvent Tyler messing with his baby girl or hear what random adventure Daphne has dreamed up.


End file.
